Episode Summary
Prosecutors Hong Liang and Zhang Huaien uncover a hidden cache of gold bars at their colleague Xie Hongfei's old home, leading to his arrest. Simultaneously, prosecutor Zheng Yaping rescues a key witness, Shao Xiaoyan, from an attack. Shao confesses to a long-buried truth: she was blackmailed into giving false testimony in a case where Wu Xiaotian assaulted Liu Gui, a scheme orchestrated by the crime boss Wanhai to frame prosecutor Zhang Wenjing. As the investigation intensifies, mastermind Chen Shenglong takes drastic measures, coercing an official and ordering the murder of a loose end, Lei Guangfa. The episode culminates in a heated confrontation between Hong Liang and his superior Li Renjun, shattering their trust over differing priorities and leaked information.
Spoiler Alert
In the Name of Justice Episode 14 Recap & Spoilers: A Box of Gold and a Storm of Confessions
This Episode , the tangled web connecting past and present crimes tightens, pulling everyone deeper into the conspiracy. A dogged investigation unearths a fortune hidden in the most unlikely of places, forcing a key player to his knees. Meanwhile, a crucial witness, rescued from the brink, finally breaks her silence, unleashing a testimony that could change everything. With alliances fracturing and villains making brutal moves to cover their tracks, the stakes have never been higher.
The Gold Bars in the Chicken Coop
The episode kicks off with prosecutors Hong Liang and Zhang Huaien visiting the rural hometown of their colleague, Xie Hongfei. Their arrival is met with immediate resistance from Xie himself, who frantically emerges from a chicken coop to block their entry. Hong Liang’s sharp eyes notice something odd: a security camera pointed directly at the coop, not the house.
Ignoring Xie’s blustering threats of filing a complaint, Hong Liang pushes his way into the coop. After a brief search, he uncovers a box filled with gold bars. The discovery shatters Xie's composure; he drops to his knees and begs for mercy. Hong Liang immediately reports the finding, and Xie is taken into custody along with the gold by Director Zhang Yide from the inspection office.
During a tense, overnight interrogation, which Hong Liang insists on observing, Xie puts on a defiant front. He claims the gold was purchased legally with his life savings. When asked why he’d hide it in a chicken coop, he offers a flimsy excuse about keeping it secret from his wife, citing her poor relationship with his mother. But Hong Liang isn't buying it. He points out to the interrogator that an innocent man wouldn't immediately beg for forgiveness upon his "legal" savings being found. Cornered, Xie breaks down in tears, crying about his impoverished upbringing, but his story fails to convince anyone.
A Rescued Witness Sings
In a parallel storyline, prosecutor Zheng Yaping and her team arrive at Shao Xiaoyan's apartment just in time to see her being brutally assaulted by a group of thugs. They fight off the attackers and rescue her just as the police arrive.
Shaken but safe, Shao Xiaoyan finally reveals the truth she's been hiding for years. Three years ago, at the "Wanjia Denghuo" club, a fight broke out between Wu Xiaotian and Liu Gui. Wu Xiaotian severely injured Liu Gui, who struck his head and was left in a permanent vegetative state. Initially, prosecutor Zhang Wenjing had urged Shao Xiaoyan, a witness, to testify truthfully.
However, six months later, a man named Qian Bo used Shao Xiaoyan's drug addiction to blackmail her into committing perjury. The entire scheme was orchestrated by the crime boss Wanhai. His goal was to have Wu Xiaotian (who was acting on his orders) pin the blame on Zhang Wenjing, thus clearing his own name and implicating the prosecutor. Just as she finishes her confession, Shao Xiaoyan is overcome by violent withdrawal symptoms, underscoring the leverage the criminals held over her.
The Puppet Master Pulls the Strings
News of Xie Hongfei’s arrest sends shockwaves through the criminal enterprise. A worried Chen Shenglong, fearing Xie will expose him, immediately sets his own plans in motion. He dispatches his subordinate, Cheng Zijian, to monitor the situation and keep tabs on another loose end: Lei Guangfa.
Chen Shenglong then pays a visit to Wang Yu, forcing him into a high-stakes gamble he can't win. After Wang Yu inevitably loses, Chen lays out his terms: arrange for the release of Wan Chao (Wanhai's son). In return, Chen promises to sign over the ownership of the lucrative Wanjia Denghuo club to him.
A Brotherhood Shattered
The fallout from the investigation creates a deep rift between Hong Liang and his superior, Li Renjun. Li confronts Hong Liang, hurt and angry that his subordinate went behind his back. He appeals to their close, brotherly bond, but Hong Liang is unmoved. He fires back, accusing Li Renjun of leaking sensitive information about a second autopsy on Qiao Zhenxing directly to Xie Hongfei.
Their argument exposes their fundamentally different motives. Li Renjun admits his primary focus is getting a conviction in the high-profile Wanhai case to secure his own promotion. He sees Hong Liang’s insistence on digging up the old, connected cases of Qiao Zhenxing and Zhang Wenjing as a dangerous distraction. The two men part ways, their friendship and professional relationship in tatters.
Loose Ends Are Tied Up… Permanently
Meanwhile, Qiao Feng, the son of the deceased Qiao Zhenxing, remains haunted by the fact that his father's body was mysteriously cremated before the second autopsy could be performed. Convinced that crematorium worker Lei Guangfa knows more than he let on, Qiao Feng tries to track him down, only to learn he was quietly released from police custody.
He's too late. After being confronted by another nervous associate, Chen Shenglong decides to eliminate the risk permanently. He orders his enforcer, Brother Xiong, to "take care of" Lei Guangfa. In a chilling sequence, Lei is abducted and thrown into a waste-to-energy incinerator. Qiao Feng's search ends in failure.
As the episode closes, the pieces are scattered across the board. Shao Xiaoyan is taken to a drug rehabilitation center, having provided a bombshell testimony. Cheng Zijian visits Xie Hongfei's elderly mother, delivering a veiled threat to ensure Xie's silence. And Li Renjun, reporting to his own superiors, seems concerned only with how this internal mess will affect his career-making case. The battle lines have been drawn, and the enemy is proving just how ruthless they are willing to be.
